Just another day

How I spent my birthday:

1. Missed my daladala and had to run like a mad woman flagging it down across the whole town (lest I wait another hour and a half for the next one). Let's just say I caused quite the scene.

2. Fell into a river.

3. Got told by three people I was getting fat...

Thank you very much. I think you can all agree with me in that the last of these was by far the most disconcerting. In their defense, they meant it as a compliment but I certainly did not take it as one. In Tanzania, being fat is a good thing and a sign of one's status in society. That's me, climbing the ladder of society one chapati at a time. Here, the larger you are the more money you have and thus the more food you can buy. I don't think there is anyone more respected than a large african mama. Quite the opposite of our lettuce-crunching-organic-everything society back in the States. This is roughly how the conversation went down.

Aneth: "How are you liking Tanzania? You are looking fat."

Me: "What?!? Did you just say I'm fat?!"

Aneth: "Yes you are looking fatter, I think this means you are getting used to TZ and feeling more comfortable. When you have less worries you get fat."

Me: "What?!? Do I really look THAT much fatter?"

I desperately turn to Godson and Mr. Sekievu hoping one of them will come to my rescue..

Godson: "Yes you do."

Sekievu: "YES it's the cheeks you can see it in your face"

It's not my fault everything here is fried! Do you think this stopped me from buying a large piece of chocolate cake today? It most certainly did not. I will eat my slice of birthday cake with pride!